Casa de la Brujas

When Justin & I were in Mexico City, in February & March of 2022, we stayed in an apartment in Casa de la Brujas. Edifice Rio de Janeiro (the official name of Casa de la Brujas) is a well known building in Mexico City, both for the folklore as well as for the architecture & history.  

The building underwent partial renovation in 1942 by the famous Mexican architect Francisco Serrano. He converted the first floor facade & the interiors to an Art Deco inspired style. This is most reflected in the interior courtyard (not pictured here). 

Castillo de las Brujas has been home to many artists & writers in the 20th century & is currently know as a residence for creatives. William S. Burroughs once lived in the hood! While the building is known to be haunted, Justin & I were skeptical. We’re not down with the demonization of Witches or the dramatization of spirits. Besides, I usually get along quite well with them. 

The building lives in the Colonial Roma Norte neighborhood & across the street from Plaza Rio de Janeiro. Casa de la Brujas is over 100 years old & is named after it’s Witche’s hat on the turret (seen in the photos). Legend also has it that a famous witch named Pachita lived in this building. During the Mexican Revolution many prominent Mexican politicians visited her to gain assistance with their plight. It is said that her magick led to spirits being trapped inside the building. Additionally, it is said that she was able to perform organ transplants using nothing but one magick knife & no sanitation. 

I’ve experienced a lot of “supernatural” phenomena in my time, but there has rarely been an experience that startled or scared me. This turned out to be one of these experiences! We had things flying off the wall in the night & rolling across the floor in strange illogical patterns. 

We were also locked inside one of the bedrooms late one night even though the door did not have a working lock. The handle simple would not budge, as if the door was being held by a force on the other side. As I struggled with the door repeatedly, it suddenly opened. I flew backward onto the bed. It was pretty dramatic!

If you ever visit Mexico City & your'e not afraid of spirits, or you're a ghost hunter, I highly recommend staying here! Aside from the spirits, it's a beautiful, historic building in a lovely neighborhood with tons of character. The park across the street has a lot of culture as well, hosting a Santa Muerte Altar, Full Moon ceremonies, and markets on the weekends. We'd go back in a heartbeat - even with the spirit activity.